Ecologically Sustainable Sydney

Sustainable Living - Personalised Learning for Action

To live sustainably, you need to understand your part in the economic and natural (ecosystem) environments.

Economic sustainability, is relatively easy to measure, though a little more difficult to predict. The measure is the dollars coming in and the dollars going out.

Ecological sustainability is more difficult. Though in recent times, generation of CO₂ and use of H₂0 have become popular indicators and then these indicators have been defined in dollar terms.

However, we do need to take a holistic approach balancing the unknowns, costs and benefits of both the intended outcomes and unintended consequences.

On an individual basis, we can come up with a Nett assessment about what we are contributing vs what we are consuming, and our individual future needs for food, water, shelter, social relevance, mobility and transport.

• Composting
• Carbon Footprint of Daily Traffic through Annandale
• CO2 emitted in electricity generation to run House Hold Appliances

Audits and Assessments

• Home sustainability assessments
• Where does your household energy go?
• Energy Efficiency Centre Open Day

Government Funding

• Fridge Buy Back
• Home Insulation Program
• The NSW Government:Solar Bonus Scheme
• Australian Government: Green Loans Subsidy
• NSW rainwater tank rebate
• Sydney Water information about Desalination
• Desalination: Current or emerging issues paper, Western Australia Water Corporation, Perth prepared for the 2006 Australian State of the Environment Committee

Education and Advocacy

• Treading Lightly - Eco-living in the Inner West (including: Sustain-a-Baby natural baby care, Liing with less Chemicals, Soil Improvement, Eco-choices for Home Renovation)
• Sustainable House Day 12 September 2010
• WWF: Tips for eco-living
• Green Renters run workshops and lobby for sustainable living in rental property.

Academic Research

• "Desalination is an emerging option to help address severe water supply shortages in urban centres around Australia, primarily because of its independence from rainfall. Desalination is energy intensive, and so to be considered sustainable, needs to offset its greenhouse emissions."
• Making water — hold the salt and take into account the environmental impacts (2005)
• Academic Research into Enviromental Projects in Annandale

www.ramin.com.au/eco-sydney/sustainable-living-sydney.shtml © Ramin Communications 2009. Last modified 9 February 2010.